Mufasa

Mufasa is a fictional character in Disney's The Lion King franchise. A wise, benevolent lion, the character first appears in The Lion King (1994) as King of the Pride Lands and devoted father to Simba, who he is grooming to one day inherit the throne. He is murdered by his younger brother, Scar, who kills him so he may usurp the throne. Mufasa's death forces Simba to flee the Pride Lands in exile, but Mufasa's ghost appears to an adult Simba to convince him to return home and confront his responsibilities as rightful heir, ultimately restoring the Pride Lands. Mufasa was voiced by actor James Earl Jones.

The character underwent several changes during production of The Lion King, namely making Mufasa related to Scar to enhance the story, and having the character return as a ghost later in the film to provide Simba with a more definitive reason to return to Pride Rock. The writers debated about whether depicting Mufasa's death on-screen was suitable for a family film. While some writers suggested that the death occur off-screen, director Rob Minkoff instead on exploring Mufasa's death in detail, which was unusual for an animated film of its time. They decided to alleviate by incorporating more comedic material after he is killed.

Critics and viewers were initially divided on whether Mufasa's death was too frightening for a children's film, many of whom compared it to the death of Bambi's mother. In retrospect, Mufasa's death is considered one of the most memorable on-screen deaths in film history. Jones voiced the character in the 2019 remake of The Lion King, the only main cast member from the original film to reprise their role. A prequel, entitled Mufasa: The Lion King, is scheduled to be released in 2024 and will explore Mufasa's background.